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LOL!! (Crying over here...)
I can't kiss and tell. What happens in Fairplay and Big Tom's hotel room, STAYS in the hotel room.
But, there may have been a boner and camera phone involved. (Hookers have HUGE boners.)

Thanks to all of you awesome Survivor fans for helping me pop my Reddit AMA cherry tonight. I've been typing answers for over 3 hours and I'm pretty well exhausted and shattered. Sorry about the questions I wasn't able to answer, but maybe we can do this again some time. Be well all...love you!

I was absolutely devastated that T-Bird didn't make the cut...especially because I know how important it was to her. I adore T-Bird and she had been waiting for this opportunity ever since we returned from Africa. I don't know why she didn't get selected, and I think it's horseshit that she ain't out there playing right now. I also think it's an abomination that Shane Powers ain't on second chances. That shit's whack.

I know for a fact that Big Tom would've swayed. He and I made our alliance and deal long before we even flew out to Panama. He and I were playing together the whole time.
If I hadn't voted out Amber, I believe I stood a very good chance of winning All Stars. My final crew (of solid alliances) would've been Big Tom, Kathy OBrien, and Jerri Manthey.
Little known fact: Kathy and I discussed who to vote out (that day we voted out Jerri) ALL day. We went back and forth. At the end of the day, I told Kathy that my vote was to keep Jerri and get rid of Amber. Kathy wanted to keep Amber, because she truly believed B Rob would hold his part of the bargain. She also knew that I was very close to Jerri M, and she felt threatened, because she and Jerri weren't close. So when we had to agree on a plan for that tribal council, I went with Kathy's decision, despite the fact that I knew it was the wrong decision. The rest is (sad) history.

Yeah that's really eye-opening in terms of All-Stars history. I see that costly decision entirely different now that I know how much Kathy was involved. Especially the part about her wanting to boot Jerri due to Jerri's bond with Lex. Very interesting.

I started watching Survivor mid-way through the first season. I watched season 2 and thought Colby was the man. I watched season 3 and thought similarly of Ethan - instant favorite, still my favorite Survivor to this day.

Sometime during or after the airing of Survivor: Africa, you and some other Survivors came to my school and signed autographs. I was probably 9 or 10 years old at the time. I got a chance to meet you and you signed my TV guide, which, as a big fan of the show, became one of my most prized possessions at the time. I bragged about how I met a Survivor in real life and talked about how awesome you were to anyone who would listen.

Come 2004. I'm a big football fan as well, but I was more anxious about the premiere of Survivor than the Super Bowl. Janet Jackson who? I am beyond pumped to see my favorites coming back to play again: yourself, Colby, Ethan among but above others. You and Colby on the same tribe? Cool, loving Mogo Mogo! Saboga absorbed and Ethan is now a member of Mogo Mogo and all three of you are together? Awesome!

And that's just about where the good times stopped rolling. Episode 7, Colby got voted out. I'm bummed but hey, you and Ethan are still in the game.

Very next episode, you decide to tell Ethan he's going next. He's bummed and I'm broken hearted. You just voted out two of my favorites, back-to-back in back-to-back episodes. You told him it was all business, nothing personal. I thought you two were [Boran] boys from Africa. I didn't get it but you wanted to win and Ethan and Colby are great players who are in your way, ok, fine, but I was no longer rooting for you.

Not too long after, you make a deal with Rob. You hold up your end of the deal then Rob thanks you by voting you off. Fast forward to the final tribal council, you are giving a speech to the final 2 about how "this is just a game" is an excuse and how the line between "game" and "life" is not cut and dry. Similar sentiments reappear in the reunion as well.

I apologize for the long-winded and probably melodramatic prelude to the question that many others are probably going to be asking you, but 12 year old me would be kicking me if I didn't ask:

Why was it "strictly business" when you decided to boot Ethan but not when Rob decided to boot you? Why did it "have nothing to do with friendship" for Ethan, but when you are voted out, "life blurs into the game constantly"?

Why was it ok to do that to Ethan if it wasn't ok for Rob to do that to you?

Totally reasonable question Tyler! The big difference between those two situations was that Ethan and I had made no deals or agreements for Survivor All Stars. In fact, most of us players who were non-winners were totally up-front with the previous winners that they had to go, and they would be a top priority. (Although that said, we didn't tell Hatch, because we knew we'd have to blindside him.)
As far as the thing with Boston Rob goes, he and I had essentially made a deal when he asked me to protect Amber, and he welched on it as soon as he could.
All that said, I ain't in the least bit bitter about it. Rob beat me fair and square, and I got got. He was willing to use every trick, weapon and tool in the box, and that made him a better player than me. Did it hurt though...fuck yeah!

We're fine...we're grown-ass men. Are we friends? Nope. But there are NO hard feelings. I'm completely fine with everything and how things went down. But, I'm lucky enough to have amazing and quality friends in my life – so why would I want to keep a turd of a friend, when I have so many good ones.

I just wanna say I'm happy for the long-winded and dramatic preclude. This is definitely a question that I'm sure people want answered, but it's clear that in your case it's coming from more of a place of respect and not just "ay fuck u lex y u hypocrite???"

I was portrayed in such a way that made great TV and a better Survivor season. Was it 100% accurate? No way. But I'm totally okay with that. They can't possibly include EVERY little thing that happens out there or is said, so by definition, you'll only be getting a fraction of the story. But the editors' and producers' jobs are to make a great and entertaining TV show.
I could give a flying fuck what they made me look like, because at the end of the day, the only opinions I care about are those of my family and friends and those who I love. And no edit could turn those people from me. As far as the rest of the world goes...if they want to see me as a villain or a prick, that's cool by me. They don't know me. The day you meet me in person, is the day you get to know me.
And at the end of the day, I'd much rather get an edit that makes me a memorable character, rather than disappear into obscurity as a mediocre hero.
Shitfirehell...I played a hardcore game and the edit made that pretty clear.

Wow. Too many favorite moments to list.
One of my favorite moments by far was the flight from L.A. to Africa for my first season. The sense of anticipation, exhilaration and the knowledge that my life would be forever changed in a huge way was intoxicating. Also the sense of an impending adventure that would test all my skills and put me in such exotic surroundings and bizarre circumstances was intense.
The visit to the hospital in Wamba, and the reward of a trip away with Tom and our hot air balloon ride was amazing as well. The entire Africa experience really.
Africa was an experience like no other...extraordinary. Like some bizarre dream. I loved all of it. All Stars not so much.
I had some good times on All Stars though. I loved going off and spear fishing for the tribe. It was a rare moment of tranquility and solitude that I really needed. And it was rad to bring home food everytime I went out.

I stay in touch with quite a few Survivors...most from Africa, many from All Stars and a whole bunch of others that I've met at charity events and whatnot. Many alumni players have become close friends (or even like family).
I speak to Tom, Ethan, the General, Jonny Fairplay, Gabriel, Jeff Varner, Jerri Manthey, and many others on a regular basis. I recently met Tyler, Sierra and Mike H from this last season, and we're now thick as thieves. I love that crew!

I have a question about Africa. Obviously it's a unique setting, with the constant threat of wild animal attacks and all.

On a scale of one to "I'm gonna die", how in danger did you feel (when the lions got really close overnight, for example, and in other situations)? Did you feel production was reckless/put your safety at risk by having you camp in that location?

The needle was pegged hard to the right at "I'm gonna die". I won't lie...that lion situation was hardcore and our lives were all hanging on a thread. We're lucky that one of those lions didn't decide to test the fence and see if they could clear it on those first few nights, because they would've cleared it no problem. There's a reason that Mark Burnett hasn't had his players and crew in a location that presents such danger after Africa.
The only time we ever received a personal visit to our camp from Mark Burnett during Africa, was the night after that first lion visit. He was furious because we hadn't built the wall as we'd been trained. We got lazy and only built it half as tall and half as thick as we were supposed to. But fuck...it was 118 degrees and we had no water. We didn't have the energy to. But as Mark Burnett explained to us...there were no armed security with guns around our camp, and he was furious that we were putting his crew and employees (on the all-night shift) in danger because of our laziness. He said "I'd hate to send one of you players home in a body bag, but sending one of my crew members home in a body bag is UNACCEPTABLE."
The next day we got our shit together and built a proper wall.

Was just wondering what it was like to watch the show once you were back home? I've heard other survivors say how they can only watch their season once and never again cos they find it too embarrassing

Also, were you pleased with your edit? Or was there lots of stuff not included that you wished had been on tele?

It was absolutely BIZARRE to watch myself on TV...like an out-of-body experience. Exhilarating on the one hand, and mortifying on the other. I've watched Africa a few times since (in fact I just finished watching it a few months ago with my older son, who had NEVER watched it). I've never rewatched All Stars since watching it live when it aired.
I was fine with my edit. I am what I am, and I certainly gave SEG/CBS a LOT of great and dodgy material to choose from...much of it that would not present me in the best light. But I don't spend too much time worrying about what people will think of me, and i certainly didn't edit myself or my behavior while out there playing the game. I have a feeling that the producers appreciated this side of me, as it guaranteed all sorts of content for them when it came time to edit.

Oh boy. We could spend ALL night on this question. Well...I didn't figure it out until we were all in the green room (all 16 Survivors, as well as Probst and Burnett), watching the final episode LIVE at CBS Television City. When I held up my response ('Lindsey') to that fateful question on live TV, Lindsey looked at me (in the green room) and said "Good job Lex, you're right!" A split second later, Probst (on TV) announced, "Lex, you're wrong. Kim wins immunity." And there we all were, in that green room, just minutes away from going out and doing the live after finale show. I looked at Burnett and Probst and said "Well, that might've changed EVERYTHING for my game." It was an awkward moment, to say the least.

There was some controversy surrounding an immunity challenge in the final episode. In a "Fallen Comrades" challenge, in which the contestants were quizzed on trivia regarding players in the game who had been voted out, the final question was "Which female contestant has no piercings?" The official answer, given by Kim J to earn the win, was Kelly. Lex answered the question with Lindsey's name, who, unbeknownst to the producers, also had no piercings. Had Lex been given credit for his correct answer, he and Kim J would have been tied in the challenge and would have faced tie-breaker questions. After the producers were alerted to the mistake, both third place finisher Lex and fourth place finisher Tom were awarded the $100,000 runner-up prize instead of the traditional third and fourth place earnings.

ALL of us who weren't previous winners agreed (before we started the All Stars game) that winners HAD TO GO. There's a reason that these people won their seasons, and none of us were going to allow that to happen again. Sandra NEVER would've won a second season on my watch. Also, there's something nice about having some players on-hand that everyone agrees need to be voted off. It keeps you safe a bit longer and it relieves the stress and exhaustion of figuring that all out...at least a few days here and there until we'd run out of winners.
Winners would tell us that they would be the perfect player to have by your side in the final two, but I was smart enough to know that that was hogwash. If I was a winner sitting in the final two, my job of convincing the jury to give me the mill would be an easy one. "I made it this far twice...clearly I've played the game like nobody else and proven my skills." DONE.
So, no, I don't think it was shortsighted. I think it was a safe bet, and a good way to get rid of proven threats before they had the opportunity to keep themselves in the game with individual immunity wins.

Well Rob took you out after the merge... because all the other "threat's" were gone. If Colby/Ethan was still at the merge I'd be surprised if he still had booted you before them. He mocked them/was jealous of them the entire season based on confessionals.

So, BeanGate. As a Boran member, between Clarence and Diane, who do you think was telling the truth and why? If you can still recall after all these years, do you think Diane asked Clarence to open the beans and she lied to try and save herself, or he did it entirely on his own? Or somewhere in the middle?

I knew early on that I would need sub-alliances with other players, just in case I needed to make moves in the game for myself that people in my core alliance might not agree with. I also liked Brandon as soon as I met him and we got along well. I knew that he would be an outsider with some of the other players (as the unapologetic and flamboyant guy that he is) and I knew that this presented me with an opportunity. He needed friends and numbers, and so did I. Survivor is all about numbers. Brandon was also vulnerable at that point and needed protection from being voted out. He just wanted to last another 3 days, then another 3 days, etc. He wasn't really thinking about going all the way, so it was easy to leverage that. He didn't connect to Kelly in the same way he and I connected, so I didn't have too much trouble getting him to vote with me. It was risky as you know, because it alienated Tom and Ethan from me for awhile...as they weren't big Brandon fans. But in the end, having Brandon's support is one of the many things that kept me in the game when things got dire.
2.My game was absolutely on lock, and I was set to win. That last night before the final challenge, I got violently ill and had chronic diarrhea ALL night. It completely wrecked me and left me exhausted. To this day I don't know how I got sick and no-one else did. But when I got home, I was tested for parasites and bacteria, and I had a laundry list of bad critters living inside of me. Took 6 months of heavy meds to get rid of everything.

Oh god...this is a mine-field of a question and we could talk about this all night as well. I remember a LOT about it. That was a bad situation, and I really don't think Hatch meant anything by his actions...it really didn't seem that big a deal when it happened. But Sue's reaction...nearly a day later(!) was pretty bizarre. After she quit, she actually started reconsidering and wanted to change her mind and come back into the game. All of us still in the game got a late night visit from production who wanted to know if we would be okay with her coming back into the game, despite the fact that she had quit. (I think that the producers wanted Sue back in because she was a popular player.) Everyone on my tribe unanimously responded "FUCK NO."

Wow. I heard this a while ago but could never source it. It's such a strange reaction that I don't know what to make of it. All I know is that I've never hated watching something on survivor more than that episode.

The first scene I think of whenever I think about Africa is the day you had serious stomach issues and had to jump around in the hot sun with all the natives before the final immunity challenge. That seemed like it would have been the worst day in my life had that been me. How miserable of an experience was that?

It was miserable, in that I felt like shit and I knew my game was in serious trouble because of my illness. But it was also an incredible experience...magical really. The power and indescribable energy that we experienced in the dance/ritual with the Masaii was life-changing. It gives me goosebumps to this day. I'd do it all over again. And again. And again.

I'd want my boys to do whatever they want to do, and I support whatever decisions they make. Interestingly, neither of my boys has any interest whatsoever to play Survivor. I actually got a call before the first Blood vs. Water season was cast, and they wanted me to play with my younger son River. I asked him what he thought, and he wasn't the least bit interested. I was actually relieved, because I don't believe in mixing the game of Survivor with family. It just feels icky and wrong to me. If he had told me that he really wanted to do it...then of course, i would've done it for him.

I've gotten my tattoos from a number of different artists and in a number of different parlors, but I have a few favorites and artists that I go to again and again.
My sleeves (and a number of other tattoos) were done by the legendary Freddy Corbin (a very good friend of mine). He has 2 shops in Oakland and Berkeley, and he's a badass. Many of my tattoos, including my back piece, were done by Klem – one of my closest friends. He owns a shop in Santa Cruz called O'Reilly's and it's one of the nicest tattoo shops in the world. I've had work done by every artist there (Edu, Dan, Jason and Adam), and they are all world-class.

Hi Lex!! Let me tell you, I have goosebumps right now. You were a childhood hero to me, so it means a ton that you're doing this. Anyway, I have a few questions for you. 1. How often do you still talk to Tom and Ethan? 2. Have you been called for any other seasons since All-stars? 3. Would you play again? 4. Any funny stories from either season that you'd love to tell? 5. Is there anything Rob could have said to you to give him your jury vote? I think that's it. Lex, you're the man and you, Tom, and Ethan were basically the original Survivor likeable trio. Thanks for all the memories!

Thanks so much for the kind words! I've already answered most of your questions in this session (in previous questions), so I hope my responses are easy for you to find, but I'll add what hasn't been covered yet. I still talk to Ethan and Tom on a weekly basis...they are like brothers to me. As far as giving my jury vote to Rob goes, I don't know if he could've said anything to change my mind, but truth be told...we all knew that a vote for Amber was virtually a vote for Rob anyway, so at the end of the day it was 6 of one and half a dozen of the other! I might've voted for Rob if he had put on a pink tutu at final tribal council, danced a little ballet and chanted "Lex is my daddy!" over and over. HA!

Yeah...the time that Big Tom nearly took a piss on the back of my head!
It was at the end of that epic day when we watched the great migration, drank a LOT of liquor and ate a ton of food (the night before the hot air balloon ride). Big Tom was so drunk that I had to tuck him into our single queen-sized bed for the night, so that I could resume my beer and wine drinking alone on outside our luxury tent (I was not done partying and I wanted to milk every minute and ounce of beer I could out of that night). I was sitting with my back to the open doorway of our tent, and a camera man was sitting in front of me just filming me drinking and enjoying the night sky. The cameraman could see behind me into our tent. At one point the cameraman started kind of choking, like he was suppressing a laugh, so I turned around, only to see Big Tom right behind me, with his shorts around his ankles, and his pecker in-hand a few inches behind my head. He didn't even know I was sitting there, but he needed to take a piss. Thank god that cameraman couldn't hold in his laughter, because I caught Tom right in the nick of time before I would've gotten a golden shower.

It was absolutely brutal, but it was exquisitely brutal. I wouldn't have it any other way, and if I could go back and pick any location for my first go at Survivor, I'd want it to be exactly where it was: Kenya.
But rough it was. Our water situation was horrendous, the heat and exposure was unbearable, and the wildlife situation was teerrifying. Just about every living thing thing out there, would've gladly killed us. It was hectic...and I loved every fucking minute of it.

Just about every living thing thing out there, would've gladly killed us

Any chance you can expand on that situation? I've always wondered. There are a couple scenes in where the wildlife threat is made clear, but was it a more constant thing? And was it producer/external intervention that prevented any attacks, or something else?

I was pretty gutted. And I felt pretty stupid. I don't really feel bad for voting out Kelly (especially after I watched the show...some of the shit she said about me was pretty awful). Truth is, Kelly was wicked smart and she would've shanked me if i let her stay. She was a real threat...I just didn't know why yet. She had to go.

I think all of these "fan favorite" awards are utter horse shit. For one thing, the fans only know 10% (at most) of the whole story, because that's all that gets shown on the show...so how could they possibly make an educated (and fair) choice. After All Stars, Rupert had been groomed to be the next big Survivor star and fan favorite...CBS and SEG did everything to create a beloved character. And ALL of us on the All Stars cast knew we didn't have a chance in hell to win against him. It was a lock. Now, all that said, the other thing I hate about these supposed 'fan favorite' scenarios (like the selection of the second chance cast), is that I don't believe for a second that a lot of it isn't pre-determined by CBS and SEG. I mean c'mon...this shit is big business and I don't believe that they'd ever truly leave it up to the fans to decide. CBS and SEG love their control...LOL!

Hi Lex! I have a couple questions. My first one is did you plan on voting out Ethan at the final 3 of Africa (and do you think he planned on getting you out), and is it true that a cameraman vomited in front of him, causing him to drop out? Also, and you don't have to answer this one if it's too personal, but do you tattoos have any meanings that you could share?

Edit: also did you know Kim Johnson was going to vote you out at final 3?

I guess it all depends on who would've been in the final 3. Our plan, from day 2, was that me, Big Tom and Ethan would be the final 3. Once we made it that far, it would be bones-to-bones.
I don't know who I would've voted out if the 3 of us had made it that far. I loved and was loyal to both Tom and Ethan, and my decision would've been strategic.
However, if I had been in the final 3 with Ethan and Kim Johnson, I most certainly would've voted Kim out and sat in the final 2 with Ethan. This was the deal we made and I would've honored it. I also believe I would've beaten Ethan in a final 2 jury vote. At our live finale program during a commercial break, Bryant Gumbel (who was hosting) asked all of the jury members who they would've voted to win if I had made it to the final 2. He asked them to show hands if they would've voted for me against Kim, Tom and Ethan. Each scenario resulted in me winning the million.

Lex! So stoked that you were willing to come do this today! Just to get my ass-kissery out of the way up front, I wan't you to know that you are one of my all time favorite players and you had a huge role in getting me hooked on this show. I can't wait for you to come back!

My questions:

1.) If you could have lunch with one historical figure and punch another in the face who would they be?

2.) What is your favorite Nintendo game?

3.) If you could go back and boot Amber in All-Stars, do you think that you had a solid path to the end?

Thanks man!
1.) I think it would be rad to have a lost weekend (or lost month) with Hunter S. Thompson...and go completely buck wild. And I'd love the opportunity to punch Adolf Hitler in the dick.
2.) I'm a big fan of Mario Cart...but given the choice, I'll play pinball over video games ANY day.
3.) Hell yeah! I answered this in detail in another question...check it out!

I was really curious what your thoughts are on Jeff Probst. Today we here all kinds of stories about him cursing all the time and ripping people when they give "bad" answers at tribal. But how was he back in the early days? What kind of change did you notice in his handling of things between Africa and All-Stars?

I can't really comment on Probst these days during the shooting of the show, because all of my experience was from the early days...but he most definitely didn't curse at us or rip anyone at tribal back in the day. The experience was stressful, to be sure (because it was tribal council), but our dialogue with Jeff was always respectful and civil. Some things did seem to change in Jeff's demeanor and attitude towards the show and us contestants between Africa and All Stars...maybe because Jeff never wanted to do an All Stars season at that time. There's a lot about the All Stars production that people don't know about, and the production team certainly had their share of challenges...partially because there were a few 'divas' on the cast. (But I won't name names...nor do i think I really need to! ;-)

You mentioned you know Gabriel - do you think he'll ever make it back on?

He in particular amazes me in how much he wants back on and admits thinking about it daily, given how much he seems to have going on in his life since Survivor - which is my next question...what about the experience gets people so hooked?

That's a great question! And like you, I have always wondered why in the hell Gabriel wants back on so badly. He and I have spent HOURS over beers talking about this, and I don't think even Gabriel fully understands why he wants/needs this so badly. For some, it's like a drug...they just NEED back on and will do nearly anything to get there and recreate that original 'high'. But having done it twice myself, I'll tell you...it ain't anything the same the second time around. Doesn't mean that I don't still find myself thinking about a third go-around! LOL.

The psychological recovery (for all of us) after Africa was INTENSE. Bear in mind that at that time (in the early days of Survivor) most of us had no clue what to expect. We were naive in EVERY way. So the experience after-the-fact hit us all out of left field. Coming home after that game was a true mind-fucker.
The Survivor head-shrinker (hired to help us if we lost our shit, and provide support after the show) had warned us that we would experience something much like the PTSD that veterans of war experience when they come home. I didn't believe any of it. Until I got home.
I was claustrophobic in any enclosed rooms, buildings with a roof...I wanted to be outside 24/7. I couldn't sleep indoors...just wanted to go sleep in my yard. Woke up with night terrors for a few weeks.
I also found that I came home a changed person (at least temporarily) as far as how I trusted people. I was paranoid, and didn't trust anyone...not even my friends. It took me awhile to reacclimate and be normal again.
I also wanted to be with my Survivor people because they were the only ones who understood what was going on in my head. Not even my wife knew what the fuck was up with me...and I couldn't really explain it.

As far as how the seasons have changed over the years...in my opinion (which could be total horseshit), it's a totally different game. It seems less strenuous, challenging and hard than it was. I think they've overcomplicated it with hidden idols, exhile islands, etc. etc. In my opinion it was better simple. Why pick up a happy baby?
I also think they're casting fewer REAL people. The casts now are younger and better looking than they ever were before. Shitfirehell...look at our crew in Africa. Most of us were freaks and weirdos, and some of us weren't exactly pretty!

To be fair, the weather in Cambodia (where they're filming the next season) is horrible. It feels like 115 degrees during the day, STAPH and MRSA run rampant, bug bites, infections, etc. Everything we've heard so far suggests that this is one of the most challenging environments the show has visited.

Hey Lex! I don't particularly have a question, but I just wanted to say that you were my all-time favorite contestant when I watched Survivor as a kid. I was in elementary school during both of your seasons and you always struck me as such a cool guy (and I still think that now that I'm older). So I wanna say thanks for really strengthening my love of Survivor so that I can still enjoy it over a decade later. You rock!

Kim's mush (or any of the mush we ate out there) wasn't that bad...and wasn't that good either. But, Tom genuinely had a really hard timing eating it. As much as we were all starving (I lost 40 pounds out there), Tom still had a devil of a time choking it down, and he would often give me three-quarters of his portion because it made him dry-heave when he swallowed it. I'm such an eater, that if I was hungry enough, I could honestly eat a dog turd...but that mush truly was Tom's nemesis in Africa.

As Second Chances films right now, there are a ton of rumors about pre-game alliances. What pre-game alliances were there going into All-Stars? I'm incredibly curious to find out how that sort of stuff that we viewers don't see affects the votes on the island.

As you can imagine, there was a lot of pre-game chitter chat before we all left for All Stars and there were quite a few pre-game alliances being made (most of which I may not even be aware of!). Of course, Big Tom and I spoke, and we were locked and loaded. Being a close friend of Ethan's, of course we talked game as well, but I couldn't make any promises to Ethan that I couldn't keep. So I was pretty up-front with him about how vulnerable he would be as a former winner. And I did not make any pre-game alliance with him. Colby actually called me when he heard that I had been cast for All Stars, and asked me to be in an alliance with him. Before that phone call, Colby had never called me or really given me the time of day, but clearly he wanted to exploit my strength and strategy for his game on All Stars, and so I got the phone call. I'm no stooge, so of course I agreed to an alliance, but all my fingers and toes were crossed. (Sorry Colby fans, but he was never gonna be in my core alliance.)

Thanks! My pre-show pick for winner and who I'm rooting for is Jeff Varner. I'd rather just pick my personal fave and go all in, and Jeff is a close personal friend, so I'd like to see him get the big prize.

Hey Lex. Back when you played there was a much bigger focus on Survivor as an adventure. You played in one of the most interesting and dangerous settings they've had in Africa. I was wondering what you think about how the game has changed focus to being all about gameplay and less about adventure??

Thank you so much for doing this!!! I still consider you one of the "faces" of Survivor even after all of these years. I believe that you were one of the most complex contestants this show has ever had and I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I'm really looking forward to your responses.

Thanks so much! Little known fact: your observation that I'm one of the most complex contestants the show has had, is precisely why I almost did NOT get cast on Survivor. After spending a couple of weeks at the Doubletree hotel for finals casting, Lynn Spillman, Probst and Burnett wanted to cut me from the finals because they thought I was too complicated, and that TV audiences wouldn't know what to make of me. They wanted their tattooed contestant to be a hardcore thug, preferably with a penchant for violence and a lower IQ. They don't give the TV audience enough credit for being smart. I think the viewers want REAL people, and real people aren't one dimensional...they're complex. Anyways, long story short, my casting girl really believed in me and she pushed hard to get me a single meeting with Les Moonves (CEO of CBS and Viacom) and his executives. Burnett, Spillman and Probst agreed. I went to the CBS board room, met Moonves, and an hour later I was locked in for the show and they were removing other cast members that they'd locked in already, but that wouldn't be right for the show, now that they had added me. I got lucky and god bless my casting girl. We're friends to this day, and I love her dearly.

One story I've heard a few times about the final immunity that Ethan fell off after seeing a crew member throw up. Any truth to that? Similarly, I know that you go amoebic dysentery and were quite sick near the end and after your season in Africa. How did you get sick if you know? I am curious because you all seemed very on top of boiling your water and all that so it surprised to hear you still got hit so hard.

A cameraman did indeed throw up (in his hat, I think) while we were on the final immunity challenge. He threw up because of sun exposure – it was really bad. I don't know for certain if that's why Ethan fell off his post...I was manically focused on my game and staying on my pole while my stomach cramped and my body was dying on the inside. As far as how I contracted all those parasites and bacteria, while nobody else did? It remains a mystery to this day. And yes, we were obsessive about boiling our water.

Apply! And then when you make your video and fill out your application, just be yourself...unapologetic and full-strength! If you want it bad enough, just don't give up...but be careful what you wish for!

That divide and bad blood never really went away during the game for those original Samburu tribe members. It was so strange...I could never figure out how that small group of people could have so many problems getting along and could get so divided. We had a pretty diverse tribe on Boran with young and old as well, but all of us really got along. And it certainly worked in our favor to help us go all the way in the game.

So many of the Africa cast would make great second-chancers, Frank included. We were a pretty colorful, weird and random group of oddballs...and most would deliver the good a second time around. Frank is an awesome dude. Salt of the earth and rock solid.

I believe it was in the Mitchell (Survivor: Australian Outback) podcast on Survivor Oz, but Mitchell stated (contrary to what some survivors have said) that Mitchell, Rob, and Amber were friends prior to All-Stars, but Rob & Amber weren't a couple until after filming ended.

Hey Lex, thanks for doing this AMA! One of my favorite parts of Survivor: Africa was the reward you and Ethan went on where you sold the goats. Did anything really cool or interesting happen that didn't make the air?

That was a brilliant reward indeed! And that day in the village was pretty epic. The trip in that crazy overlander vehicle took forever and was violent as all git out...the 'road' (or semblance of one) beat the hell out of us, and we had to keep the goats from flying out the side while we tried to keep from falling. When we arrived in the village, it was immediately apparent that NO-ONE spoke English in the village, and that we were going to receive NO help from the production crew. When we got us and goats out of the truck, I looked at one of the producers and said, "Hey, do we get a translator?" He turned away from me and laughed. I said, "A little help here??" and more laughter. We were totally on our own. We made the best of it and had a grand time. When Ethan and I ate those huge platters of greasy french fries, Ethan could only finish half and then had to run off to the closest outhouse to lose it all...he had level-10 diarrhea. I promptly finished his platter and mine and kept it all (but as you know, my time would eventually come, when my stomach and butt would let me down.) The people in that little village were the sweetest people I've ever met. They were all so happy, despite the fact that they have so little. They live in dirt-floor huts and are as poor as poor gets, but they all had smiles on their faces and were so kind. It was very touching.

I don't have any Survivor-themed tattoos...but my wife does! She has a sleeve with a huge torch and African daisies.
But come to think of it, I do have a Survivor-related tattoo that I got right before leaving for All Stars, to give my game and confidence a boost. I got a can of whoop-ass tattooed on the back of my leg. My wife and I also got matching tattoos before I left for All Stars on our wrists...we got the words 'Love' and 'Luck'...because I was gonna need a bit of both to make it through that experience.

The water was absolutely horrendous. We had to get our drinking water from a spring – the only spring for miles around – which meant that every other animal in Africa drank from it (and shit in it). So we enjoyed water with the flavor of baboon, elephant, lion, zebra, hyaena, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, gazelle and leopard SHIT. And then to add insult to injury, they only gave us a clay pot to boil it in...which promptly cracked after a few days of constant water boiling – which meant we had an even harder time boiling it. The water situation in Survivor Africa was BY FAR the WORST aspect of that whole experience/game.

None of us had a clue until Probst announced it when we all came together. We were all totally oblivious. You have to remember that this was just season 3 and there really hadn't been any twists thrown into the game yet. We all got caught with our pants down on that one.

Star Trek (old-school, William Shatner-era)...I cut my teeth on that shit and it was some of the first science fiction TV I watched. Sadly, in my opinion, Star Wars started shitting the bed with all the pre-quel movies and Jar Jar, etc. I loved the original Star Wars movie...saw it when it first came out in a drive-in theater.

Hi Lex! Your answers about the harsh reality of the Survivor experience got me thinking about the viewers who dismiss the show and claim that it's all scripted. Have you ever met someone who was convinced that Survivor was fake and that you were reading lines the whole time? How did you/would you react in that situation?

edit: I got in late; too bad because I would really like to hear a contestant answer this now - especially an old-school contestant. If anyone wants to steal my question for the next AMA, feel free.

Fellow Drummer here! I can't help ask an un-Survivor related question or two. Any favorite drummers or drummers who you find who are a big influence on you? Also, what kind of kit are you playing these days?

Those fries were fucking DELICIOUS! And fortunately for me, they only wreaked havoc on Ethan's system. I kept all mine down, no problem...and I got to eat nearly half of Ethan's fries, cuz he couldn't finish them!

Yo Lex, I'm probably late, but can you sort of summarise the morals you had going into Survivor: Africa?

I noticed the way you behaved with everyone and spoke to everyone was a lot more direct and honest than the norm, yet you were also (according to the edit) considered a little duplicitous and the closest thing to an antagonist towards the end when it was mostly Boran left.

I'm just curious what your philosophy was at the time, regarding what is right and wrong to do on Survivor. The show was only young then so I can only imagine it's a little different to what you'd think now or even in All Stars.